


Red beginnings

by Shasta



Category: X-Men (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Origin Story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-31
Updated: 2014-05-31
Packaged: 2018-01-27 16:19:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1716920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shasta/pseuds/Shasta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After losing his mother, Azazel and his brother travel across Russia where events will unfold in his life and he will eventually be led to Shaw. Origin Story for Azazel.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Silence.

He couldn’t hear anything except for the rise and fall of his brother’s soft breathing. He was huddled close to him for the warmth that he could provide him, but even with the blankets piled on top of them both, they were still cold. The two boys weren’t prepared for the life that lay ahead. After what happened to their mother and the old man that trained them, they were forced to run away from their old lives. 

Even though they were currently under a small rock shelter in the middle of an unforgiving winter, it was actually not that different than when they had their mother to guide them. The three always traveled around for their own safety. Their mother knew that she would need to protect her two boys, but she didn’t exactly have the means to do so. However, she tried her best to keep her special boys out of sight while still trying to give them the finer things in life. She wanted them to have a normal childhood, but she knew it would never happen. She knew, at least, that one of her boys would never be able to live a normal life, but that didn’t stop her from trying. 

The younger of the two boys shivered violently as a gust of frigid air blew into their tiny shelter. He covered his head with one of the blankets and cuddled closer to his brother. The eldest stirred and turned to see the red boy completely covered in the blankets they were able to obtain. He poked him roughly while quietly whispering, “you alright?” He could see only the faintest movement underneath the blanket, but that was enough to tell him that his brother was alright. He turned to look back outside of their little shelter made out of large stones. The eldest, who recently turned 18, and the youngest, a 15 year old boy, had learned how to communicate without ever talking, in case they came to a time where they needed to be silent.

“Andrei, why couldn’t we find a better shelter?”

Once again, Andrei turned to his brother and simply looked into his pale blue eyes. He looked miserable, but right now, there was nothing that he could do to help him. “Go to sleep, Gavriil.” At that, the younger red boy turned away from his brother and curled up under the blankets once more.

Andrei watched his brother for a moment before looking out to see that the snow falling softly. Eventually he lost himself as he thought of his brother. His brother was unique in more ways than he could possibly ever count. At first glance, you could tell that he was different than most teen aged boys. For one, his skin was blood red. Andrei smiled as he remembered the first time he saw his brother. He was tinier than most infants, but his appearance made up for it. He was a small little demon boy that was rambunctious and stubborn. He loved that the most about his brother. He was a feisty boy, but he was harmless. Very lazy, but wouldn’t hurt a fly. 

While Andrei himself was unique, he felt ordinary in comparison to Gavriil. It was his brother’s ability that was a very interesting. You see, these boys were what they called mutants. Andrei could phase through anything and could even take objects and people with him, while his brother could transport people or objects to where ever he wanted. However, his ability was limited due to disuse. Gavriil wasn’t too interested in his ability, which was a huge shocker for Andrei and their mother. With his teleportation powers, he could go wherever he wanted and he could be safe always, but he never practiced, so he never learned. The most the red mutant could teleport was about ten feet. But he had only teleported once or twice before becoming exhausted and giving up for months at a time. However, while Gavriil saw himself as weak, Andrei saw the potential in his brother. He was simply being held back by a bad case of laziness, which Andrei would soon fix.

Andrei and Gavriil were both born mutants. While Andrei was born with normal fair skin, he was also born with grey markings all over his body, along with a tail, that was very short in comparison to his brother’s. Andrei’s tail just brushed the ground while Gavriil’s was about as long as the boy was tall. Meaning it could, in theory of course, be used like a whip, but his brother would never practice so it didn’t matter. 

Even though the boys had been born obvious mutants, they still gained more human characteristics from their parents. Andrei has been born with blonde hair and pale blue eyes. However, when Andrei hit adolescence, his hair became a silvery color and his eyes became white with black rims along the edge. Gavriil didn’t remember his father, but if he had been born with skin that was more human like, he would have looked identical to him. Gavriil had the same blue eyes and black hair that their father had. He was a good man, but a fever took him early in his life, so Andrei’s younger brother would never remember the man that held him closely during the last weeks that their father had lived. Andrei remembered their father even though he was young at the time of his death. It was a sad time, and he wasn’t really sure he fully understood what death was at the time. But now that he does know what death truly is, it hurts more than he thought possible.

Andrei physically shook the memory away. He had to focus. He was no longer the young child that could get away with anything anymore. Now he had to keep his baby brother safe until he could defend himself. Andrei glanced at the large bag that kept their pathetic amount of belongings. He thought of the blades that he had been given by his trainer. Gavriil would learn to use them, whether he wanted to or not. It was either that, or his brother got off his lazy butt and started using the gifts he had been born with. 

Andrei shrugged, it might be easier to simply protect him for now.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Never Wander away!

Morning brought a ray of warmth that found its way through the trees and into the mouth of their tiny shelter. The light stirred the young red mutant out of his dreamless sleep. As soon as his eyes opened, he realized how cold it still was. It was nowhere near as bad as the night prior, but it was still freezing. It seemed that it had continued snowing throughout the night, which was apparent by the soft snow that covered everything in sight. He yawned loudly and then looked at the mass of blankets that was his older brother. He punched him and then prepared to leave the cramped little shelter. His brother stirred but didn’t move.

Gavriil pulled on his worn boots and threw a few of the blankets on top of him. It was all he had that could be used to protect himself from the winter that surrounded him. He poked his head out of the shelter and looked around. He knew that his mutation wasn’t exactly a welcomed sight, this he learned early on in his ‘training’. He sighed and pulled himself out. It was much colder outside of their shelter, which only made the boy sigh again. He relieved himself and then without waiting for his brother, he started to march on through the snow covered wilderness. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but his ability allowed him to map certain places in his mind, so if he ever wanted to go back to their shelter, he could easily walk back without ever getting lost.

He wasn’t sure how long he walked but his feet were sore and he was physically exhausted. His tail was kept low to the ground and it would occasionally brush the frigid ground, which would wake the boy up and make him lift it higher. She clouds were forming again, a dead giveaway to the possible snowstorm that could be coming. All they needed was a nice fire and a good shelter and everything would be great. They already took what they wanted or needed, so it wasn’t like they would ever need to work for food or clothing.

Gavriil looked down at his worn boots and shrugged. He could go without proper clothing for a while, it was food that he wanted. He seemed to always be hungry. His brother blamed it on a growth spurt, but he has always been like that. It was one of many things that proved that he was meant to be living like a king. If only…

Gavriil once again lost track of time. Perhaps a few hours had past? He wasn’t too sure about it. All he knew was that their little ‘camp’ was miles away. He had given up on keeping his tail from touching the snow, which wasn’t exactly the smartest idea. His tail was always exposed to the harsh cold, but it was always warm. However, his tail was completely numb from being dragged in ice and snow for hours. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until an almost painful gnawing alerted him. He ignored it, just like he always did. However, a welcomed scent was only making his hunger worse. It was meat, that was all he knew, and it was close. With his newfound energy, he bolted for the food. He had to find it, it wasn’t like he could find fruit or other edible things in the middle of winter. He was running quickly and eventually his hands had begun to hit the ground, propelling him even faster. He was running on both his hands and legs, something he only did to escape danger, or in this case, escape another day without food. He didn’t like to run like this often, mainly because his back would be sore from the odd movements. He wasn’t built for running like that, but it seemed almost instinctual at times.

He stopped himself quickly as he made it to the top of a hill. He looked down and he could see what could only be described as a small grouping of farms. He could see smoke bellowing from the chimneys and the scent of freshly cooked meat. His mouth was watering but he knew that he had to control himself. He wasn’t a child anymore. However, his trance was broken by the sound of a gunshot. All he felt was blinding pain and instinctively, he teleported away. It was a jump that was farther than he would have usually gone, but it was enough to get him away from the man that had fired upon him. He was in a tree now, not that far from where he last was because he could see the splatter of his blood on the white snow and the bewildered man searching for him.

Gavriil was grinding his teeth, trying as hard as he could not to cry out in pain. However, a whimper cma out and the man turned quickly an aimed at the red mutants. He closed his eyes and teleported again. He landed face first into snow. He was completely drained of his energy, but because he wasn’t traveling far, he ould still hear the man nearby. It was too close for comfort. Gavriil had been shot in the arm, thankfully, so he hopefully would recover. He didn’t know too much about caring for a gunshot wound, so he was hoping his brother did. 

Gavriil held his hand firmly over the bleeding wound and forced himself to stand. The blood that trickled down was barely noticeable on his skin, but his cream shirt showed exactly hos much blood he was losing. He started noisily trudging through the snow, attempting to get back to camp, but he knew he wouldn’t make it before nightfall.

The sounds of him walking alerted the man once again and Gavriil could hear him yelling and running after him. He didn’t understand why he wanted to shoot him? He knew he was different and he would never be accepted so the initial gunshot wasn’t too much of a surprise. However, this man was pursuing him. He could hear the man yelling out words like ‘demon’ and ‘devil’, which was aggravating Gavriil. He looked back just in time to see the man aiming once again. Another gunshot sounded and Gavriil once again felt a sharp pain, this time it grazed his shoulder. The pain once again triggered a flight response in his brain. Even though he was exhausted form the last two teleportations, he once gain teleported.

He teleported into another tree this time. He struggled to keep his balance. What’s worse, is that his jumps were getting shorter and shorter. He simply reappeared in the tree right above the man. The soft implosion from Gavriil’s reappearance alerted the crazed farmer to the red mutant’s whereabouts. The man aimed again and fired…However, his rifle was empty. The man fumbled to reload his weapon and that gave Gavriil the chance to escape. He thought hard about the farthest tree he could see from his current position. He closed his eyes and teleported.

He reappeared ten feet in the air nowhere near his desired location and fell to the ground roughly. He howled in pain and held his bleeding arm closer to his body. The boy simply laid there curled up on the ground in pain. He was drained of all of his energy and he knew that if he wasn’t far from the farmer, he could do nothing to protect himself. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to make himself a shelter for the quickly approaching night and to make matters worse, it had begun to snow. He curled up to try and insulate the heat in his body, but it wasn’t working. He was shivering but a horrible feeling inside him knew that it wasn’t from the cold. His world was quickly fading and it wasn’t long before the young mutant blacked out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little girl? Why not!

Gavriil opened his eyes. He was disoriented, tired and covered in snow. He felt like he could sleep for days, but he knew that he shouldn’t. He noticed that it was day time, perhaps early morning. He couldn’t believe that he survived the night. He pulled the blanket over his head and…Immediately forced himself up. At some point in the night, he got medical attention and his clothing was changed. He also had a coat on. He started prodding at the bandage underneath his new shirt. It didn’t seem like something his brother would have done. He picked up the blanket and wrapped it around himself. 

He spotted a satchel a few feet away and reached for it. He grabbed the bag and began to open it but was startled by a sudden movement. He stood up quickly, which ended up being a bad idea. The world started spinning and he fell to his knees. However, he was still aware that he was not alone. He was ready to run if he needed to. He was trying to stay still but he saw movement once again, which made him turn his head quickly to it, which was not the smartest idea either.

“What do you want?” Gavriil called out in his native language. He was still looking around, trying to identify if he was in trouble. It seemed to slow to be an animal, but then again, he learned how slow but powerful bears could be just a few days ago when he was once again exploring the forest. 

“Please stop moving!” Gavriil finally had it and he lunged for where he thought the moving being would be. He hit something and positioned himself in a way that he could pin it. He was aware that he had not brought any weapons on his little adventure. He and the moving being finally hit the snow and Gavriil brought his fist back, ready to strike. He was about to punch the being when he stopped halfway.

Looking up at him was a child, maybe five or six years old. She was young and tiny and he felt like a giant on top of her. She looked terrified and he still had his fist ready to strike. He got up quickly and pulled the black haired girl up. She looked up at him in awe and fear, which was something that he was not used to. She reached out to touch him and he slapped her had away. She recoiled and held her had close to her body. She bit her lip and softly asked. “What are you?”

Gavriil was taken aback by the question. He didn’t answer. Instead he looked around. Gavriil was young himself, but this girl was practically a baby. Her mother had to be nearby, or worse, her father with a gun. Gavriil shivered at the thought of meeting another gun. He was still looking around when her soft voice spoke again.

“Are you a demon?”

Gavriil look sharply at the girl and said in a heated whisper “I am not a demon!”

She recoiled and then said “I have seen pictures of demons. I just think you look like one.”

“I am not a demon” Gavriil then added “Where’s your mother?”

The girl merely shrugged and then asked “What is your name?”

Gavriil looked around once more before kneeling down and answering, “I’m Gavriil. Gavriil Resnikov. What about you?”

The girl didn’t reply, instead she asked another question “What is your demon name?”

The teen mutant sighed and said once again “I am not a demon.” He was more relaxed but he was still obviously annoyed by the girl and her belief that he is a demon.

She shrugged and asked, “If you were a demon, what would your name be?”

Gavriil sighed in defeat and said, “I don’t know, what would you call me?”

The girl put her finger to her mouth as she thought. She then got excited and started jumping up and down. “I know a demon! He was a goat. I think…His name was a…It started with an ‘A’”

Gavriil had stood and was now looking down at the girl. While she was thinking of the name, he wondered what he would do with her. He couldn’t leave her out here to die, but he was interested in knowing how she got there. The girl continued to talk but he was no longer listening to her. He was thinking. 

He was brought back to reality by tugging on his pants. The young girl was looking up at him with excitement in her eyes. “I remember the name! It was Az-“

“First tell me your name and why you are out here.” Gavriil had cut her off before she could finish the name of the demon that she wanted him to be.

She smiled and answered quickly, a bit too quickly. Gavriil couldn’t quite understand what she said so he asked her to repeat herself, but slowly.

“Ok. I am Anichka. Me and mama went to go get some uh...Food things from the farm and then I went to go play with the chickens but mama had left me. So I went to find he and I found you.” She leaned in close to him and whispered gravely “You were sleeping on the floor.” She giggled as if that was the most hilarious thing she had ever heard and continued. “So-“

“Wait, you bandaged me and changed my clothes?” Gavriil once again cut her off and she let out an exasperated sigh.

“No. Mama said not to touch boys. I just gave you a blanket.” She smiled up at him and said, “Can I tell you your new name now?”

“No. Let’s go.”, Gavriil nudged her toward the direction that the shelter was. It would be a trek and he still wasn’t sure if he should take her, but he wasn’t sure if her mother would return for her. After all, any mother who forgets their child at a farm isn’t a good parent anyway. The girl was quiet for the first ten minutes but then asked once again. “Can I please tell you your new name? Please!”

Gavriil shushed her and continued walking. He looked at the satchel he was holding and opened it. Inside was a cooked piece of unidentified meat and a knife. It was odd but he was grateful to whoever helped him. His wounds hurt, but it was something he could get over. The two walked in silence for what Gavriil could only assume was an hour. It wasn’t quite noon, but it would be soon. The girl had the blanket wrapped around her and she seemed fascinated by the falling snow.

She was wearing decent clothing, it wasn’t something that he would have ever worn. His tiny family didn’t have money for new clothing, instead they stole what they could. He watched her silently, periodically looking ahead and around for danger. She had dark hair and beautiful brown eyes. She was a cute little girl and she seemed sweet, a bit annoying, but sweet. He didn’t understand why she would be allowed to wander off or for her own mother to seemingly abandon her.

The silence was broken by a familiar voice calling out for him. He recognized his brother’s voice and was relieved when he finally came into view. Andrei ran to him quickly and practically tackled him with a hug. He pulled away and looked Gavriil over. He must have not noticed the bandages under his shirt because he seemed too relieved. He once again pulled Gavriil into another unwelcomed crushing hug. Gavriil wasn’t one for hugs. He hated feeling constricted in any way. When Andrei finally let Gavriil go, he asked. “What happened to you? You don’t even know how worried I was!”

Gavriil growled, “Sorry mother.” Gavriil stepped back from his brother and waited to be chewed out for leaving.

“Gavriil, I was told to protect you. This may possibly be our mother’s dying wish, so why don’t you stop being such a brat and be grateful I am still dealing with you!”

Gavriil rolled his eyes and practically threw the satchel to his brother before saying. “Feed the girl.” With that, Gavriil continued to the shelter that he and his brother had found.

“I left the cave. We need to find a new shelter.” 

Gavriil turned quickly to his brother and exclaimed “You idiot! Where are we going to find shelter around here?”

“Hey idiot, we can use the blankets to make a tent like structure. I was able to find some dry wood too.” Andrei replied calmly. He then looked to the girl and asked. “Where did you find the puppy?”

“I found it in the woods, were else?”

“You can be nicer.”

“I can be, but I am tired, so I don’t want to.”

“You both could be demons.” Anichka’s voice was unexpected and both of the mutants looked at her. She then continued. “You’re Azazel-”, she said pointing to Gavriil. “-and you’re Silver”, she said as she then pointed to Andrei.

Gavriil threw his hands up and asked, “Why does he get a fake demon name?”

“What the hell is a ‘fake demon name’?” Andrei asked, obviously confused.

“Silver can be a demon name! I think his hair is pretty so that is his new name!”, Anichka exclaimed excitedly. The two mutants shrugged almost simultaneously and Andrei then began to create a make-shift shelter.

“Ok, I guess I am silver”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2 month time skip!

“Wake up, sleepyhead!”

Gavriil yawned and softly pushed the girl away before covering himself with his blanket once again. “No, Anichka. Go away.”

“Get up, Azazel! Silver told me to wake you.” She giggled and started poking his face.

Gavriil growled and said in a slightly muffled voice “Why don’t you tell Silver to come kiss my-“

“Azazel, get up!” Gavriil glared at Andrei. He had been using the name a lot recently. His ‘demon name’. It was annoying that the girl renamed them, but Andrei was actually feeding in to it.

It had been nearly two months since they found Anichka. She seemed to adjust to their difficult way of life very quickly, which was odd to Gavriil. She didn’t seem to mind going days without food and being cold every night. She would always be the warmest anyways. She was always huddled between Andrei and himself and usually under two blankets. She was useful in getting food, no one could say no to her when she begged so sweetly. Gavriil did have to admit that they were eating better because of it.

The three had found an abandoned and rundown building. It wasn’t much for room, but it did have a fireplace, so they were able to get decent fires every so often. Plus, they were able to secure a mattress for the three of them to share. They would still travel to get food, but they had no intentions of leaving their little home anytime soon.

Andrei had started forcing the swords upon Gavriil. He was always barking orders at him and forcing him to train all the time. Andrei was even trying to get him to use his abilities more often. Gavriil would constantly stay adamant about not wanting to use his teleportation because it was too hard. In return, he would get punched or slapped by his older brother for being lazy. Gavriil was a stubborn boy, so he would never admit to Andrei that he was practicing both the swords and his teleportation.

It was difficult to train with Andrei and then in private, but after the first few weeks, it became easier. After the first month of teleporting, he was able to cover almost two miles now. It was still very hard, but he was proud of himself for once. With the swords, it was a different story. He would always trip over his own feet and it seemed like he would always get his stance wrong. It was too difficult for him to figure out and in all honesty, he didn’t even want to lean. It was boring to him, to swing a metal thing around until it cut something.

“Azazel, can you take me to the place where we get food? I’m hungry.” Gavriil looked at Anichka and smiled as he said with extreme pleasure “No, rat.”

“Azazel, take the puppy to town” , Andrei chime din as he cleaned one of the few swords they had. He always seemed so proud and was always noble, which Gavriil hated. He wasn’t noble, but he did like his little ‘puppy’, as he called her.

Gavriil rubbed his face with his hands and then rested his head on the ground, prepared to close his eyes and go back to sleep. “I love how we all have these fancy names now.”

“I like my name. Puppy is…Puppy. I think Azazel suits you, demon.” Andrei smiled maliciously at Gavriil and Gavriil simply glared at his brother. 

“I. Am. Not. A. Demon!!” Gavriil yelled. He stood up and dressed himself before grabbing Anichka’s ahnd roughly and teleporting them to outskirts of the closest town.

He let go of her hand and sat down next to a tree stump, his usual waiting spot. 

Anichka waited for a few moments before saying “Let’s go, Azazel.” She grabbed his red hand and pulled him. She was such a small girl, and he futile attempts to get Gavriil up were adorable, so he smiled. She stopped pulling him and said ”I don’t like when I see your teeth.”

Gavriil’s smile grew into a grin and she stepped back. “Azazel, I don’t like it.”

“What’s wrong, Puppy? Are you scared of my fangs?” Gavriil chuckled evilly before getting up and reaching for her hand. E stopped smiling and simply waited for her to grab it. She grabbed it and the both started to walk closer to the town.

“You do know I can’t go with you, right?” In response, the girl simply looked up at him curiously.

“I am red. I can’t go in without someone getting mad and trying to hurt me or you.” He explained.

“But I am not a demon.” Gavriil sighed and said “No, but I, uh, look like one. So, people don’t like how I look.” To emphasize what he said, he poked her softly with his tail. The young girl giggled and reached for it. He moved it just out of her grasp a few times before letting her catch it. Instead of holding his hand, she was now holding Gavriil’s tail. Sometimes, she annoyed him, but he had to admit that he loved Puppy.

 

~~~

 

They returned back to their little home with a small bag of food. If they made it last, it could give them a few days’ worth. Anichka ran to Andrei and showed him the bag of food she was able to get. 

“Silver! Look what me and Azazel got! Look!” 

“That is nice, Puppy. Eat something and then go to bed. I lit a fire.” , Andrei smiled at her and nudged her toward the room where their mattress was. She yawned and did as she was told. 

Gavriil handed her a good amount of food and then she ran off to the other room. He then looked his brother and said. “Since when did you send her to bed early?”

“Since she is five years old and she needs to sleep.” Andrei replied. He was simply leaning on the wall adjacent to Gavriil. There seemed to be something off about him, but he decided not to be nosy for once.

They stared at each other for a few tense moments before Gavriil broke eye contact. He moved to go and join Anichka and get some sleep but his brother spoke up.

“I was spotted today.”

Gavriil froze. He knew that once any of them were seen, other than Anichka, they needed to move on. They had made extra effort to remain unseen so they wouldn’t need to leave this place. He dreaded being without a home again. He was beginning to like it. He turned slowly back to his brother. Andrei wouldn’t look him in the eye when he spoke again.

“I…I made a mistake.”

“What kind of mistake, Andrei?” Gavriil was devastated at the news. The last time they tried to stay in one place after Gavriil had been spotted, they were attacked, viciously attacked. Thankfully they got away with only scratches and bruises. 

“I…It really doesn’t matter. But we need to go. We are leaving tomorrow. Don’t tell Anichka yet…Please.” Andrei was now looking at his hands, he wouldn’t even lift his face to Gavriil.

“What. Did. You. Do!?” Gavriil took a few threatening steps toward Andrei and finally he lifted his head to look at his younger brother.

“I got caught with a girl.” Gavriil was stunned. His brother was most definitely the most level headed of the three, so to hear that he was caught…It wasn’t something that Gavriil really believed.

Andrei seemed to pick up on what Gavriil was thinking and explained. “I stuck around too long. I got discovered and almost got myself stabbed. He got a good look at me so I am sure he is looking for me…I just hope he didn’t go out and blabber on about me. Last thing we need is another mob.”

“The last thing we needed was to be caught, Andrei! You ruined everything! Why couldn’t you just stay away from the woman around here!?”

“It’s easy for you to say Gavriil. Don’t you dare judge me! I know I made a mistake, just deal with it!” Andrei stormed off toward the bedroom and looked back at Gavriil “We are leaving tomorrow.” And with that, he went inside and went to bed.

Gavriil Sighed and looked around their rundown little home. He was really going to miss it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just hanging out

“Happy birthday, Azazel!”  
Gavriil stopped drinking and stared at Anichka and Andrei. They had a small pastry and they both held it out to him. Gavriil smiled at the small gesture and took it gratefully. They had all decided that when a birthday came, they would get some sweets to share. Anichka came up with the idea. Leave it to a five year old to think of that. Of course, Anichka was now eight years old and was far from the little girl they had found. She still went by the name Puppy and she still called Gavriil and Andrei by their ‘demon names’, even though she is very much aware of the fact that they aren’t demons. 

Anichka was wise beyond her years and was a welcomed member of their little family. They looked after each other and would die for each other. This they vowed on Andrei’s birthday only a few months prior. The two men of the group were more mature now, though they didn’t get over their bickering. Gavriil began sporting an unkempt beard while Andrei still preferred to keep a clean shave, which he was adamant about.

Gavriil pulled a piece of his pastry off and handed it to Anichka. She smiled and took it greedily.

“Come, Azazel! Let’s go to the meadow!” Anichka grabbed Gavriil’s hand and began pulling roughly. The meadow a few miles from their little home was a common hangout spot for the younger members for the closest town, which was about ten miles away. Those who actually travelled that far would usually get drunk and start fights with each other, which was Anichka’s favorite thing to watch. It was amusing but the times that Andrei went with the youngest of the group, he would always try to break up the fights, which made the trip a complete waste. 

Anichka continued to pull on his arm and finally Gavriil followed her. Sometimes they walked to the Meadow, and other times they would simply teleport. It seemed that this time, Gavriil wanted to stretch his legs. They hadn’t left their home in over a week, which was a new record for them. Usually they needed to go to town every day, but they had accumulated enough food and supplies to be able to last a while. It was a better time in their lives.

Andrei stayed behind while Gavriil and Anicka began walking to the Meadow. I would take about an hour or so to get there on foot, but Anichka always had something to talk about. 

“How does it feel to be eighteen?” Anichka’s soft voice spoke up only a few minutes into their trip.

“No different than when I was seventeen, Puppy.” Gavriil replied.

“Nothing feels different? I mean, you are almost and adult! That must be cool!”

Gavriil smiled at the girl. She was so young compared to Gavriil and his brother. She kept them young, so to speak. “Age is just a number. I still feel like a child inside, so I decided I want to be ten years old again.”

Anichka punched Gavriil playfully, it seemed that she had learned that from the two boys. “It doesn’t work like that, Azazel! You are eighteen!” She then seemed to get lost in her imagination. “I can’t wait will I’m older! I want to get a job!”

“Why do you want a job? That’s weird” 

“Because I don’t like to steal. I want to be successful in life, Azazel.”

“Well, for starters, don’t give people demon names when you meet hem. That won’t help you.”

Anichka giggled. “I did that when I was a little girl” She lowered her had to her previous size in order to show Gavriil how small she was only three years prior. “I am smarter then you now!”

“Oh yeah, write me an essay, then let’s see who is smarter.” Gavriil smiled at Anichka and then looked forward once again. She had quickly gotten over her fear of Gavriil’s fangs.

“Well, how about I don’t do that.” Anichka said quietly.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

~

They arrived at the meadow earlier than expected. I was late afternoon and other teenagers were just starting to arrive. There was a large bonfire lit, which illuminated the darkening world. Around here, they could be seen without any issues. After all, who would believe a bunch of drunk kids, right? No, the ones that came to the meadow were mainly outcasts. Gavriil and Andrei weren’t exactly welcomed with open arms, but they were left alone.

Anichka ran ahead to this girl that she had become close friends with. Gavriil was happy that she could hang out with a girl closer to her age instead of two men. Gariil’s ability at tracking and finding things had developed further. So as Anichka ran off into the small crowd, he knew he could find her if he ever needed to. 

Gavriil himself grabbed a drink and sat against a dying tree. He was here to look for some women or to see a good fight. He was hoping to be able to find a woman that he could have a good time with, but mainly men were showing up. He simply watched the bonfire grow and waited for the night to come.

~

The night came and went and nothing eventful happened. Gavriil was a bit disappointed, but at least Anichka had a good time. The sun was just beginning to come up as tey arrived back home. They both headed to bed without a word to Andrei and slept for hours.

By the time Gavriil had woken up, it was late in the afternoon once again. He rubbed his eyes and then got up to do something, anything. 

“Azazel, you know better than to take Anichka out that long.”

Gavriil sighed as he heard his brother scold him as he came into the main room. “Yes, I know, but she had a good time.”

“That means nothing. She is eight years old, Azazel, she is still a little girl.”

“Yes, I am aware of that.”

“Be ready to go to sleep in a few hours. You will get back on schedule. You have things to do.” Andrei then added. “You have to go to town tomorrow and get some supplies.”

“But we just went a few da-“

“A week ago, Azazel. I’m serious. Eat something, then head to bed.”

“Yes, mother!” Gavriil growled and then went to leave the house. Andrei didn’t stop him, so Gavriil decided to take advantage of that. He teleported back to the meadow where he was able to do some sightseeing.

The woman that came to the meadow usually came with their boyfriends so he had to choose wisely. If he decided to hang out with the wrong girl, he could end up being punched in the face, or worse, stabbed or shot at with a gun.

He noticed a young woman standing alone within the crowd. He could tell she was alone because she had that look that said, “Get me out of here. I’m bored.”

Gavriil teleported closer to her and then walked up to her. “Hello.”

“Don’t even try it, red boy.” She replied sweetly.

“Interesting.”

“I’ve seen you around here. You find a girl then disappear with her. Literally.”

“I only go with the finest, sweetheart.” He smiled at her, hoping to win her over. She seemed to be thinking and he was excited when she replied.

“Perhaps, after a few more drinks, red boy”

Gavriil saw this as an invitation. His smile grew and he bowed curtly. “Shall I get you a drink then?”

“Yes you may.” She winked at him and with that, Gavriil knew this night would be eventful.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh...

Gavriil woke up deep in the woods. It was one of his many hidden areas within the forest that he knew that he and his woman wouldn’t be disturbed. She seemed to have left sometime in the night, but that didn’t bother him too much. It wasn’t like he wanted anything more than what he gave her. He dressed himself before setting off toward the house. He was going to walk this time. His hangover wasn’t as bad as other times he had gotten drunk, but it was definitely hurting.

He made his way to their home. He changed his clothing and prepared for the trip into town. Gavriil knew that if he didn’t get going soon, he would be scolded once again by Andrei, and that was something he wanted to avoid. Anichka was always the first up so he wasn’t surprised when she sleepily made her way out of the bedroom. She smiled at Gavriil and went over to the sink to wash her face. “Morning, Azazel.” 

“Morning.” Gavriil replied curtly. He flicked his tail back and forth as he waited for her to get ready. After ten minutes, she returned to the main area clothed and ready to go. It seems that her bubbly personality was back.

“So, where were you last night? If you were with a girl, Silver will kill you!” She giggled and then pranced out of the door. Usually when Gavriil disappeared at night, he was doing only one thing. Anichka knew he was with a girl, but she didn’t know what he was doing, which was a good thing. He smiled at her and then quickly followed after her. She grabbed his hand and they both teleported ten miles to the nearest town. Gavriil’s teleportation abilities now allowed him a larger radius in which he could appear. He was up to 25 miles now, and smaller jumps, like ten miles, no longer wore him out. 

 

As soon as they reappeared in their usual teleportation spot, Anichka bolted toward the town. It seemed like she had unlimited supplies of energy. Gavriil couldn’t understand how she could run so much without getting tired while he was still exhausted from the last two nights and had a horrible hangover. It seemed that every sound and any amount of light was like daggers being stabbed into his brain. He wouldn’t let anyone know he was in pain, but most of the time, he was in pain. He was incredibly stoic, so even with Anichka’s high pitched laughter, he looked as if everything was alright.

Now that he thought about it, Andrei never knew that he was shot three years ago. He never told him about it, not that it mattered at all, but he never mentioned it before. The bullet wound in his arm had scarred, but the shoulder wound had not. He was still curious though. Who had helped him?

He shrugged and then sat down on the grassy hill. He would wait here for Anichka to come back. He always knew where she was so if she was ever in danger, which sometimes he could sense, he could go get her.   
Gavriil took the time he had away from everyone to think about everything that has happened in the last few years. After they had to leave their home because Andrei was seen, they had travelled all through spring and summer to find their current home. It was the easiest in summer and he remembered celebrating Anichka’s 6th birthday by swimming in a stream and eating cookies they were able to obtain. It wasn’t a lot, but it was everything to Anichka.

They found their newest home around the end of fall, only a few months after Anichka’s 6th birthday. It was slightly larger than their previous home, but it seemed to have been maintained better. They also had a water supply very close to their home, unlike their previous home which had a small pond a few miles away. They have been staying in their newest home for about two years now. It was the longest they would stay in one place and life seemed to get easier.

Sure enough, after an hour of running around town, Anichka had gotten he supplies they needed. It was amazing how well she would do and how quickly she learned how to obtain these things. He smiled at her and then stood up. She was boasting about how she was given a cookie today and she wouldn’t seem to stop talking about this puppy she had seen that had the cutest spots, as she described. He grabbed her hand and in an instant, they were home.

Gavriil grabbed Anichka and quickly teleported her deep into the forest. He had learned to react quickly when faced with danger. She stared at him wide eyed and full of fear as she started asking too many question for him to answer. He looked back at the direction his home was in and then back at the young girl he had taken into his care. 

“Stay here!”

Gavriil teleported back to their home and he felt a sharp pain in his arm. When he looked he could see a line of blood where he was slashed at with a knife. Gavriil reacted quickly in teleporting to where he could see his brother’s unconscious body on the ground. They could replace their possessions, but he needed to get Andrei’s bloody body away from these men. With one last glance at his burning home, Gavriil teleported away from these men and left to find Anichka once again.


	7. Azazel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azazel

Gavriil placed his brother gently on the ground. He was bleeding from a stab wound on his abdomen and he had cuts all over his body. He didn’t have any supplies to give him the care that he desperately needed. Gavriil pulled of his long sleeved shirt and pressed it onto the bleeding wound. He needed to stop the bleeding or he would lose his brother.

Anichka ran to them and landed on her knees beside Andrei. “Silver!”

Andrei’s eyes opened slightly. He looked to his brother and then to Anichka. He smiled slightly and whispered. “It’s ok.”

Gavriil knew that it wasn’t ok. He couldn’t lose his brother like this. He couldn’t care for Anichka the way his brother cared for her. He knew that he couldn’t make it without him. Gavriil felt something touch him and realized that it was Andrei’s short tail wrapping around his wrist. Gavriil looked at his brother and saw the smile. It broke his heart. He looked into his eyes and he could see the light fading from them.

He couldn’t hold back the tears as the tail slowly lost its grip. Andrei’s eyes closed and he could no longer sense the life in his brother.

“Andrei! Andrei, please!” Gavrill shouted at his lifeless brother. He stopped the pressure on the stab wound and held his brother close to him. He cried into his shoulder as Anichka started crying beside him.

“Silver…No!” Anichka ran off in tears. Gavriil looked to the direction she ran off to and het let go of his brother. He stood up and ran after the little girl, leaving his brother’s body behind. 

When he finally caught her, they both collapsed onto the ground. He wanted to be strong for her but he knew that no matter what he did, she already knew what Gavriil was feeling. 

Gavriil held her close as he slowly rocked the girl. It was more soothing to him than it was to her. He held her close for hours. The both silently cried for the loss of their brother and friend. 

~

A few days had passed since Andrei’s death. They buried him near the town and set off to find a new place to stay. They both grieved for Andrei, but they knew they needed to find a safe place. Gavriil cried for his brother once and then moved on. He had to be strong for Anichka and for himself. He wanted to be the man that Andrei always saw in him, but now, he wasn’t too sure what he was supposed to be. He was a young red man with a tail that could appear and disappearing at any moment, he never lsot his way, but he seemed so lost right now.

Andrei was always more of a father to him than a brother. He would tell him stories about how their real father was a powerful gladiator like the ones from Rome and for a while, Gavriil actually believed him. But the harsh reality of their lives quickly washed away the young and immature ideas of what life was about. They grew up much too early in their lives. When Gavriil was ten, he was already being trained with weapons, with those damned swords that Andrei loved.

Gavriil never understood why he loved them so much. He had his theories though. Perhaps I was because they were their father’s swords or maybe because he had stuck his trainer for the first time with those swords. Maybe it was just because he wanted to fight. Andrei was always a fighter and Gavriil knew that he didn’t go down without a fight. His ability would have easily allowed him to escape those men, but instead, he wanted to fight for the small things that they possessed. Andrei fought to protect their lives.

Gavriil knew that he wanted to fight like his brother fought. But he wasn’t sure what that really meant. Gavriil barely touched those swords. He was forced to learn how to use them by that man, their mother and then later, Andrei himself. Andrei took to the swords much more easily than Gavriil. For him, it was always a challenge to figure out what to do and not to do when in a dangerous situation, but with Andrei, he always knew what to do, that is why he excelled while Gavriil failed. He was always the star child. Always the perfect one and for a while, Gavriil hated him for it. But he knew now, that he was never meant to be like Andrei. He had to find out who he was and stop living under his shadow.

And so, they walked.

Anichka was uncharacteristically quiet. They both were. They walked until they couldn’t anymore and then they both collapsed into a tiny cave. Gavriil remembered the last time he was in a cave like this. It was during the heart of winter and it was miserably cold. This time, however, it was the beginning of summer. Anichka was deeper into the cave, while Gavriil stayed at the mouth of it. They were able to get a few of their belongings from the burned down building that they once called home. They obtained Andrei’s swords, a few blankets that were drying outside and they had the food that Anichka had gained the day Andrei died. They’ve survived with less…But that was with Andrei.

“Gavriil, I want to go home.” 

Gavriil turned to the young girl who had tear streaks on her face. He sighed and looked back outside. “Me too, Puppy.”

“Gavriil…What do we do?”

“I don’t know.”

“Gavriil…I love you.”

Gavriil turned to Anichka and nodded. “I love you too, Puppy.”

Gavriil looked back to the world outside of the cave, cuddled into his blanket and simply watched the rain fall. It was a soft drizzle and it was oddly soothing to him. Gavriil noted something about Anichka. She was no longer calling him by the name she had given him three years ago.

He looked back at her. Tears were still falling down her small face. It broke his heart to see her hurting so much. 

“Anichka-“

Anichka wiped her tears and then looked at Gavriil.

“Call me Azazel.”


	8. Chapter 8

Azazel slowly stalked through the dense forest that he and Anichka had found themselves in. He could sense the presence of a man so he was on guard at the moment. Anichka knew to stay quiet when she saw him acting this way, so she moved quietly after Azazel.

Azazel finally saw him. He was an older man, probably his late 40s or early 50s. His hair was gray and he was aiming at something. He seemed unaware that he was being watched. Azazel eyed the man’s gun closely. It seemed well cared for and he had ammo all over him. If he could get that gun, he could be more successful at hunting. 

Anichka cowered at the sound of the gun going off. Azazel followed where the man was aiming his gun and it seemed like he had hit a stag. Venison was always good to eat. Azazel stalked closer to the man and before he saw it coming, Azazel was on top of him, wrapping his tail around the man’s neck. His tail tightened until he knew that the man was beginning to suffocate. Azazel pulled back his fist and sturck the man a few times until he laid there unconscious. He unwrapped his tail from the man’s neck and started to grab the ammo that was all over the hunter’s body. His tail wagged behind him in triumph as he picked up the gun and started to play with its features. Anichka slowly left her cover and walked up to Azazel.

“Can we go now?”

Azazel looked to her and nodded. But first, he would go get the hunter’s prize. Anichka still didn’t like to steal, but that was the center of their life. Ever since Andrei’s death a two years ago, they had had to resort to hunting and learning how to use more weapons in order to stay safe. It seemed that the locals everywhere they went were getting less and less accepting of their presence. 

They no longer had the luxury of living in rundown homes. The rumors of a devil man and his accomplice were spreading like wildfire! Gavriil finally took a look at the dead animal before him. It was relatively small, most likely a yearling. They could possibly drag it, but that would allow the hunter to follow him. Still, Gavriil tried to pick it up, which failed miserably. Anichka kneeled down beside the deer and started to stroke its face. “Poor thing. Why did he have to kill it, Azazel?”

“Possibly to eat? I don’t care. It is ours now.” 

“I don’t like to steal, Azazel. It’s wrong.” Anichka was adamant about her beliefs, which were annoying.

Azazel sighed and placed a hand on the animal and then grabbed Anichka with his other hand. He teleported to a far clearing that he and Anichka have been spending most of their time. The snow that littered the ground was hard and as they walked around, it would crackle underfoot. 

Anichka was completly used to teleporting. As soon as they reappeared, she continued to stroke the deer.

“I hate how every time I pet something furry, we eat it later.”

Azazel ignored her whining. This was their way of life and eating the fluffy things around them was part of it.

“Azazel, can we get a dog? That way I don’t have to pet something furry and then we kill it or eat it later!” Anichka was excited at the thought of having a pet. Azazel, not so much. It was just another mouth to feed and dogs were loud and don’t know how to be stealthy.

“No, Puppy. We aren’t getting a dog.” 

“But why? Think about it! It can protect me if I ever get in trouble!” Anichka was trying to reason, but it wouldn’t work.

“A dog can’t protect you from a gun or a knife. Whoever is attacking you will simply kill the dog and then kill you.” Azazel hated to be so blunt, but it was the truth.

“But what if we get a huge dog! A huge fluffy dog! I would name it Silver!”

Azazel glared at Anichka and hissed “Don’t you dare name a dog after my brother!”

Anichka recoiled at how harsh Azazel was being. “I’m sorry, Gavriil.” Then she added. “Please?”

Azazel rubbed his face with his palms and then stared at Anichka for a few moments. He finally relented and stated his rules.

“Fine, but you will care for it, feed it, groom it, pick up after it, and it will be a male.”

“But I want a girl!” Anichka had brightened up at Azazel acceptance, but was unhappy that it was going to be a boy.

“It will be a boy and it will have a manly name. Not ‘Fluffy’ or ‘Spot’, or whatever you were going to name it.” 

“How about Aleksandr?”

“No.”

“Ok…Uh…Let’s name it Gavriil!”

“No!”

“Kazimir?”

Gavriil thought for a moment and then nodded. Anichka jumped up excitedly from the deer she had been petting and ran to hug Azazel. He allowed this one hug but he quickly pushed her away.

“When can we get it?” Anichka was jumping up and down excitedly. “Tomorrow or something.” Azazel replied.

 

As promised, Anichka got her dog. She didn’t go with Azazel to get it but she was happy with the mutt that he brought back. It was a short-haired, cream, lanky dog with a long nose. It wasn’t too big, but it wasn’t so small that Azazel would hate it. He hated the small ones. It was a medium sized dog that seemed young enough that it wouldn’t die on them too soon. Azazel wasn’t thrilled at the thought of having a dog around, but Kazimir grew on him.

Anichka was currently away playing with Kazimir while Azazel was starting a fire to cook up some of the meat that they got from the stag. He heard the soft bark of the dog in the distance so he knew that she wasn’t too far. It was nice to have a distraction, especially for Anichka. She was still sad about the loss of Andrei. Hopefully the dog won’t get itself killed anytime soon. The last thing he wanted was for Anichka to start crying every night again.


	9. Chapter 9

It was Kazimir’s barking that alerted Azazel. He opened his blue eyes and quickly went for the rifle he had obtained. The dog was tied to a tree near their tent. He quickly glanced at Anichka, who was sleeping soundly and then back at the dog. He was pulling on the rope around his neck, growling and snarling at something that was out there. 

Azazel quickly stalked out of the tent and made sure to stay out of the glow of the fire that was burning well despite it being made on snow. He could not sense anyone or anything around them. He turned quickly to the sharp sound of snow crackling under the weight of something walking. He lifted his rifle and was ready to fire if he needed to. The weapon was loud, so he only fired when absolutely needed.

“Please, don’t shoot!” A woman’s voice called out from the surrounding wilderness. Azazel lowered his weapon and looked at where the voice came from. After a few moments and the sounds of movement, a woman stepped out from behind a large tree. She stepped into the light of the fire so Azazel could see her. She had dark hair and she seemed young, perhaps a few years younger than him. She wore different colored clothing all over her and when she stepped, the metal bands and necklaces on her, chimed.

“What do you want?” Azazel called out to her. His weapon was lowered but he would still fire if he needed to. Kazimir was still barking and growling so he could just barely make out what she said.

“I don’t want anything. I simply stumbled upon your camp and your dog.” She motioned toward the lanky dog that was still barking. Azazel walked to Kazimir and soothed him, which stopped the dogs barking, but now he growled and whined.

“Who are you, why are you out here in the middle of the night?” Azazel didn’t trust this woman. She seemed like she was only trouble.

“I am Margali Szardos. I was just trying to stretch my legs. My caravan is nearby, so I thought your were one of us for a moment when I found your camp.” 

“’One of us’? There are more nearby?” Azazel was tempted to wake Anichka, but before he did so, he wanted to know if these people were friendly.

“Well, yes. We stopped for the night here. We run a traveling circus.” Margali smiled sweetly. Her smiled captivated Azazel for a few moments before he snapped out of it. He raised his gun and aimed at her, making her step back fearfully.

“Please, you can trust me!” Margali reasoned.

“Sure. You and all your buddies? No way! Get lost!” Azazel motioned back to where she came from, hoping she would leave.

“I-I can offer you a safer place than in a tent. Warmer too.” Margali stood her ground.

“Sure. You bring us in and then you kill us or rob us in our sleep. Like I said, ‘No Way’!”

“Please. A little girl should not be in this cold.”

Azazel lowered his rifle and looked back at the small tent, then back at Margali. He raised the gun and aimed it at her head.

“I thought you just stumbled upon us? The tent was closed, Margali. You were snooping around! You probably freaked out when the dog started barking, am I right?”

“Well, fine! I just wanted to know who it was! I didn’t expect to find a demon and a little girl sleeping in a tent in the middle of the goddamn winter!” She threw her hands up in resignation and said finally. “I am offering you a safe place. We don’t judge and we won’t hurt you. If you won’t do it for yourself, do it for her!”

Azazel thought for a moment before lowering his weapon. Everything inside of him was screaming not to do it, but he decided he would go with her. The woman had a point. “Fine.”

Margali breathed a sigh of relief when he finally lowered the weapon and then moved closer to him. Azazel turned to her and glared. She stopped moving instantly. To her horror, Azazel let the dog off his tether and the dog bolted for her. She was about to run when she heard the man yell. “Kazimir, no!” The dog turned and cowered at the man’s feet. 

Azazel packed their small amount of belongings and then woke Anichka up.

“Puppy, we have to go.”

“No, Azazel, let me sleep. Please.” She covered herself in the blanket and Azazel sighed. When he looked back, the woman was closer. She reached out for his bag and he let her take it. The tent could be dealt with tomorrow. Azazel picked up the half asleep girl and carried her as he followed Margali. He was disturbed by how close these people really were.

Most of them were asleep in tents or trailer like things, but a few had stopped to stare at him. He hated the way people would see him as a demon or the devil, but these people looked at him differently. It was still unnerving, but he didn’t feel a sense of danger.

“You can stay with me tonight.” Margali looked back and smiled at him. He was in love with her smile, but he needed to stay focused. He followed her closely, with Kazimir trailing behind. 

Eventually they made it to a trailer and Margali opened it for him to enter, He didn’t look around too much, then Margali spoke.

“You can put her here if you’d like” Azazel complied and placed the girl on a corner with pillows and padding. It was really odd. Once he knew she was situated he turned to Margali. 

“You can either sleep with her of you can sleep with me in my bed.” Margali smiled once again. She then spoke again. “Only to sleep, of course.” Azazel chuckled and answered her. “I will stay with her tonight.”

Kazimir bolted through the open door and curled himself around Anichka. Anichka wrapped her arm around her dog and then drifted back into sleep.

Azazel sighed. There was no longer room for him. He looked at Margali and then spoke. “Perhaps I will stay with you tonight.” She nodded and closed the door. He loved how warm it was inside, so when he did finally lay on the bed, he fell asleep almost instantly.


End file.
